Shoe



1942- s. M. HAGERTY 2,291,711

SHOE

Filed Aug. 25, 1939 INVENTOR. 5Tc|n|ey MCIUHCG. HagerTy A TTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 4, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE Application August 25, 1939, Serial No. 291,856

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a shoe construction and method of re-enforcing the attachment of the heel to the shoe.

Efiiciency of the structural design of shoes as manufactured prior to the present invention, leavesmuch to be desired. A weakness which frequently becomes evident is that which occurs at the union between the heel and the shoe. It is the chief purpose of the present invention to improve and strengthen the elements associated with the heel and the means employed in its attachment to the shoe.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heel attaching construction which is so designed that full advantage is derived from its high strengthening properties without modifying in any way standard manufacturing methods.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe construction which is particularly adaptable to the use of a relatively low cost short outsole.

A further benefit resulting from the practice of the present invention is the ease of its incorporation into existing manufacturing procedure, which results in a negligible increase only in labor and material cost.

A further object of the invention is to overcome the weakness inherent in the construction of shoes having high cuban heels. The weakness in this type of shoe is primarily due to the relatively high stress imposed upon the union of the heel and shoe, coupled with a relatively small area of contact therebetween.

Other objects and features will more fully appear in the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawing and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

An important principle upon which the present invention is based relates to the incorporation in its construction of a means for absorbing and distributing the stresses tending to break down the union between the heel and shoe. To accomplish this end, an element which will hereinafter be designated as the re-enforcing member is introduced into the shoe structure. This member desirably is made of thin sheet material and is applied to the shoe prior to the application of the heel thereto. The re-enforcing member is introduced between the outsole and the adjacent shoe parts at the rear margin of the outsole and is forced forward until it extends a substantial distance beyond the plane of the heel breast. The length of this re-enforcing member is such that when it is situated in its proper position as above described, its rear portion lies adjacent the central area of the heel elements of the shoe upper.

A heel is now secured to the shoe having its fastening means extending through and firmly clamping the rear portion of the reenforcing member in engagement with the seat of the heel. Supplemental heel attaching means may then be applied to complete the union. 7

To present a complete and accurate understanding of the invention, a particular embodiment thereof will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a, side elevation partially in crosssection of a shoe embodying the principles of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a heel to be applied to the completedupper portions of a shoe.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the heel attachment reenforcing member.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the heel portion of a lasted shoe, illustrating the re-enforcing member applied to the shoe and before the heeling operation has been executed.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of a shoe illustratin the final relative position of the elements and .a means for driving -an attaching screw.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional detail view illustrating the drilling of a screw receiving aperture in the heel.

In the practice of the present invention, the construction and the fitting of the upper I, the lasting of the shoe and all operations up to the preparation of the heel seat for the heel may be performed in the usual manner. The outsole 3 is then applied and desirably terminates a short distance rearward of the plane of the heel breast. Its rear marginal portion 4 is specially formed accurately to fit the forward portion of the seat of the heel to be applied during the heeling operation. A suitable shape for the rear marginal portion of the outsole is ,that illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing, wherein the central portion. of the margin 4 is of substantially the same thickness as the body portion of the outsole and the outsole material is trimmed away toward the side edges of the margin to produce a taper which terminates at the side edges of the marginal portion 4 to a thickness which is reduced to substantially a knife edge.

The heel 5 which is to be applied to the shoe is provided with a channel or groove 6 extending from the upper breast edge 1 rearward along the seat 8 of the heel. The channel 6 varies a depth laterally in a manner complementary to that of the marginal portion 4 of the outsole, thereby permitting the margin 4 to be fitted neatly to the heel when the heel is applied to the shoe.

The first operation in the application of the heel to the shoe may conveniently be carried out as follows:

The shoe is allowed to remain upon the last upon which it was built and the last is supported in reverse position upon a jack, not illustrated. This first operation consists inapplying the heel attaching re-enforcing member 9 to the shoe bottom. The member 9 may be constructed of stiff sheet material, such as sheet iron or steel and its stiffness may be increased by heat treatment. The forward end ID of the member 9 desirably, but not necessarily, is slightly pointed. To apply the member 9, its forward end is inserted beneath the rear end of the outsole 3 and forced forward to a position a substantial distance beyond the plane of the heel breast. This operation is very quickly and easily executed by unskilled labor. An important point to be noted in this connection is that final position of the member 9-need not be critically gauged, for reasons that will more fully appear hereinafter. The re-enforcing member 9 now assumes the position shown in Fig. 4 with its rear portion situated adjacent the central area of the heel elements of the shoe. This portion of the shoe may desirably be filled with filling material H so that the whole area of the shoe heel bottom may lie in substantially the same plane as that of the surface of the inturned' portions of the shoe upper.

The heeling operation is then executed in the usual or any suitable manner. method is to place a heel in correct position upon the shoe and while held in this position, an attaching screw I2 is driven through substantially the central portion of the heel elements of the shoe-upper, through the rear portion of the reenforcing member 9 into the heel, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and- 5. It is convenient to drive the screw while the shoe remains on the last. "This is accomplished by providing an aperture l3 extending through the heel portion of the last in substantial alignment with the vertical central axis of the heel. A screw driver 14 is inserted in the aperture to drive the screw I2. To facilitate driving the screw, a drill I5 is first inserted in the aperture l3 as shown in Fig. 6, having the proper size to form an aperture in the member 9 to receive the screw shank and in the heel to firmly receive the screw threads on the screw.

When the screw I2 is driven firmly home with its head engaging the shoe insole. IS, the reenforcing member 9 is rigidly clamped down upon the seat of the heel, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. By the same operation, the rear marginal portion 4 of the-outsole. is tightly received in the channel 6 of the heel. Supplementary heel attaching means, such as the usual. nails H, are then driven to complete the attachment of the heel.

Referring to the placementof the re-enforcing member 9 it will be observed that. the final critically accurate position of the heel of the shoe is not governed by, nor is its placement affected in any way by the position of member 9, and conversely, the position of the member 9 is not inany way affected by the position of the heel. The extent to which the member 9 may be forced forward to meet the outsole, as above set forth, is not critical, so long as its forward end assumes a position a substantial distance beyond the plane of the heel breast.

A satisfactory In the operation of inserting the member 9, it is permitted to seek its own most favorable position laterally of the shoe bottom. Such position is determined by the structure of each individual shoe. Irregularities of structure fail to interfere with the placement of the member which will insure maximum strength of the final assembly of the parts. By way of further explanation, let a case be assumed where the stitches 18 which secure the-outsole may be wrongly positioned. In such case, the member 9 will be deflected by the stitches until it assumes a position between the two rows, whereas if the member were forced to assume a position predetermined, regardless of mal-positioned stitches or other elements of the shoe, the stitches may be injured or severed or other elements, such as a metallic shank memher, will fail to co-operate with the member 9 to the best advantage. If the re-enforcing member were to be attached to the heel and thereafter assembled to the shoe simultaneously with the heeling operation, it would be necessary to force the re-enforcing member into a definite position, regardless of irregularity in the structure of the shoe. This being necessary to insure the accurate placement of the heel upon the shoe. Such a case would be a parallel to the case above mentioned where the insertion of the re-enforcing member would not properly co-operate with the other elements of the shoe and, therefore, would produce an inefficient, unreliable and irregular product.

It will be evident from the above description that there are many important and highly practical advantages resulting from practice of the present invention. These advantages lend themselves most readily to the manufacture of shoes upon a production basis.

The elapsed time for the production of a unit is increased only a negligible amount. The cost of additional material is very slight and heels of standard construction produced at a minimum of cost are utilized. The increase in quality, wear-life and maintenance of the original trim appearance of the shoe during its wear life resulting from the practice of the present invention outweighs by far the additional cost of manufacturing.

Furthermore, the strength of union achieved by the present invention equals or exceeds that obtained in securing a Louis or Continental type of heelin the usual way, while the total cost of the latter is materially greater due to the increased cost of the Louis or Continental type of heel.

1. A method of fastening heels to shoes comprising fabricating the upper structure thereof in any suitable manner, securing an outsole thereto having a short heel portion, inserting a heel attachment re-enforcing member of flatstiif sheet material between the rear portion of' the outsole and adjacent shoe elements, projecting the re-enforcing member forward a substantial distance beyond the plane of the heel breastand while thus projecting it forward, permitting it freely to assume its own most favorable lateral position, said re-enforcing member having its rear portion adjacent the central area of the heel elements of the shoe bottom, and placing a heel in correct position on the shoe, and while inthis position, driving a screw through the heel elements of the shoe, through said re-enforcing member and. into the heel, thereby simultaneously to attach said re-enforcing member to-the heel and the heel to the shoe.

2. In the manufacture of shoes with the use of a heel attachment reinforcing member of flat, stiff sheet material, the method which comprises fabricating the upper structure of the shoe, securing an outsole thereto by stitching along the marginal edges thereof at least for a short distance forward of the plane of the heel breast, inserting the reinforcing member between the rear portion of the outsole and the adjacent shoe substantial distance beyond the plane of the heel breast, disposing the rear portions of such reinforcing member adjacent the central area of the shoe upper heel elements, placing a heel in position on the shoe, forming a pilot aperture through the shoe bottom elements, the reinforcing elements and into the heel, and driving a fastening screw into said aperture to secure the reinforcing member to the heel and the heel to elements and between said marginal rows of 10 the shoe.

stitching, projecting the reinforcing member a STANLEY MAURICE HAGERTY. 

